Big Johnson and The Angry Chain

 Visit #1624, Monday 19 October 26, 5:15-5:55 p.m., mileage n/a, 7.5 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the upper 50s, sunny.

Visit #1625, Saturday 24 October 26, 7:10-9:55 a.m., 4.1 miles, 1.7 lbs. of litter

Temps in the 30s, sunny.

I received an e-mail last week from a park regular telling me about some new graffiti on a trail. I wasn't going to be able to take care of it this week because of tree cutting duties so I took some time after work on Monday to address it, and my e-mail contact felt it was offensive enough to need attention soon.

Their directions were good; I had no problems locating it.

First I used flat black paint, then gray. 

I wish I had a better color match.

Because of my experience, I thought it wise I should check the rest of this trail just in case, so I walked all the way to the I-691 walkbridge. Enroute, sho' 'nuff...

I returned later and added some gray to the black.

But that wasn't all. On Saturday I found a THIRD. I returned early Sunday morning briefly to address it.

If you've been paying attention so far, you've noticed the swastikas are backwards. This was likely intentional. My in-depth investigation has learned there is an extremist group growing in America-

Dyslexic Nazis of America

Done with covering the graffiti on Monday, I took the time to clean up the dirt parking area. In the Halloween vein, I found this dismembered doll. Scared?

I dropped of my bag of litter, most of which was picked up in the parking lot.

Now I was free to concentrate on removing that tree I found fallen across the trail last week.

I had to make special preparations, including a longer bar on my chainsaw and a more aggressive chain. I also packed a spare bar and chain because bad things can happen when cutting large trees.

But I wasn't prepared for this:

I hadn't even reached my target tree and I find another very large tree across a trail. Sheesh.

One tree removed, one to go.

In the process, things can happen.

I was prepared for this. It can happen when swapping bars and chains.

Now, pack up and head to that second tree, and hope I have enough fuel left to remove it.

Yes! I was thrilled I was able to remove this without complications, and with enough fuel remaining.

I made my way to Castle Craig and cleaned up the parking lot.

AND- I checked on the kleig lights. It was 9:11 a.m. and they were OFF. Someone's contention is they will shut off earlier on a sunny day such as it was on Saturday. I will still argue if the highway lights are shutting off early on cloudy mornings, then the kleig lights should not shut off two hours later just because it's cloudy vs. sunny.

On Sunday morning, while I made the brief excursion to address that third swastika, I found Cat Patootie Graffiti #51 since November 2016 and removed it.

Perfect hiking weather is upon us, colors and temps. Don't waste it!

Klieg Lights, Part III

 

Guess where your humble narrator was at 6:33 a.m.?

Visit #1623, Saturday 17 October 26, 6:00-10:35 a.m., 5.3 miles, 1.2 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the low 50s, cloudy.

In the past few weeks I've complained about the klieg lights at Castle Craig remaining on well after sunrise, which absolutely makes no sense to me. Last week I reported them still on at 8:45 a.m. Yet I received a report claiming they were operating correctly. Really?! This week I decided to perform a more in-depth investigation.

The photo at the top is looking east over Meriden from Castle Craig. I hiked up there using a headlamp and waited, admittedly under-dressed for the chilly morning.

By 7:20 a.m. I could no longer see ANY streetlights on along I-691 or in any of the neighborhoods. Streetlights are all governed by photocells now as they are more energy efficient; you can see the photocell as a protrusion on top of the lamp itself. Timers have gone the way of the Dodo bird.

What do you think; should those klieg lights still be on when it's this bright out?

Yet the klieg lights remained on.

Since I expected the lights to remain on after last week's 8:45 a.m. record, I decided to hike a short loop then return to check on them.

On the Blue Trail I found a very large fallen tree, which I'll remove next week.

When I returned to the peak the lights were STILL on so I took the time to remove some graffiti on the transformer.

I then tested the photocell myself by shining a flashlight at it. The thirty second delay accounts for unusual circumstances such as lightning, and I could hear the relay inside the cabinet open. I removed the flashlight and the klieg lights turned back on in seconds - and it was 9 a.m.!

Talking to a retired state highway electrician he said typically you can expect photocell operated lights to work within five minutes of each other. At least that's how the state's highway lighting worked when he was employed. Some photocell circuits provide user programmable delay timers but my test clearly shows it not to be the case here. I stand by my claim the photo cell is defective, likely due to age and clouding of the cover over the photocell. I relented and post a picture of the photocell here.

So at 9:25 a.m., WITH THE LIGHTS STILL ON, I left. IF STREETLIGHTS SHUT OFF AROUND 7 a.m. ON A CLOUDY DAY AND THE KLIEG LIGHTS ARE STILL ON OVER TWO HOURS LATER then something isn't right. The relay is functioning, there's sufficient power for the three lights, so the only component left is...

For more evidence, on a clear sky Sunday morning I observed the streetlights in my condo association. One light, heavily shaded by trees, turned off at 7:13 a.m while the next light in the row, in open sky but shaded by terrain and not receiving direct sunrise, turned off at 7:16 a.m.

 

(As a side note, I have a state low voltage contractor's license (C-5). It's not an E-1 license so I don't handle AC equipment, but I have a basic understanding about how this stuff should work.)

Incidentally, those klieg lights are 500 watt LED models, built in 2021 so they were installed roughly six years ago. I was hoping to warm my cold hands over them but LEDs don't generate much heat. Peer inside without getting blinded and you can see some of the individual LEDs in the array which make up each light, are failing, but they've got a long way to go before requiring replacement.

Maybe next week I'll visit even later to see if they remain on even later in the morning or perhaps all day.

I left my light vigil and returned to the park via another route. Along the way I found a bent over tree which I cut away.

And down by the Merimere Reservoir gate was a fallen tree which I managed to swing off-trail.

Then came a real surprise and my Find of the Week.

Somebody dumped an e-bike in the brush on the side of the road. With the proliferation of these things in Meriden and beyond, I was wondering when I would see them dumped on the side of the road as they are relatively cheap to purchase and my assumptions about people after seeing how they ride these abominations. Never did I expect to find one in the park. It did not operate.

On 9 October I received an e-mail from the Kathy Matula, Recreation Director for the Meriden Parks Department. Here's what she said:

"I hope you are well. I need your expert opinion.  The circled tree had a white trail marker behind all of the poison ivy. Is poison Ivy removal in your repertoire? 

If not, we need to figure out a clear spot for two white marks for turning off the Soap Box Derby Road."

Well, I forgot about it until this morning, and after I was done with my klieg light investigation and was returning to the park I checked out the area because I wasn't sure what she was talking about.

I found the tree.

No Kathy, it's not normally in my repertoire. But for you I made an exception. Replace those trail markers before it grows back! (It's better than the photo presents it to be.)

For those not in the know, urushiol is the chemical irritant in poison ivy. After contact, you should go home and wash your clothing and take a shower. To ensure you won't get that nasty rash, you can wash with Tecnu, available at most supermarkets and drugstores. So guess what I did when I got home?

Of course, when I returned to the park I tossed the e-bike and my litter in the dumpster.

I thought about the environmental impact of the batteries and the bike's metal but I drew the line at paying for the proper disposal of it when it was not on my property. I'll probably go to hell for that.

This Is Your SECOND Notice

 

Late in September I posted on this blog finding the klieg lights on at Castle Craig during daylight hours. Today's photo was taken at 8:45 a.m.

Well, that was three weeks ago and THEY'RE STILL ON. It's your taxpayer dollars lighting up the sky twenty-four hours a day, folks. And since this blog is e-mailed to just about everybody and anybody in the city government who would be able to act on this, I would have expected it to be addressed promptly.

Let's try this again. THE KLIEG LIGHTS ARE ON DURING THE DAY AT CASTLE CRAIG. PLEASE ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER THAT IS, IF YOU'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS BLOG.

Today was a Power Tool Weekend®.

Several years ago I removed a tree which had fallen across the Blue Trail to West Peak. I just didn't cut it back far enough for my satisfaction. Today I was satisfied.

Further up the trail, near West Peak, was my next victim.

I reported last week finding this tree protruding into the road.

Well, I put a stop to that and in the process, discovered Hubbard Park loves me!

I walked over to Castle Craig, inpsected those Eternal Lights, and cleaned up around the parking lot.

On the hike down via the Orange Trail I found another fallen tree, which succumbed to my Stihl charms.

On the return trip to the park I was met by a park regular and his wife, who informed me of another fallen tree I was not aware of. 

I returned to the park, dropped of my trash pickup, and headed to that other location.

It was while retrieving my truck that I saw a very large, successful fundraising run was in progress. I was impressed as I'd never before seen such a turnout for a fundraiser in Hubbard Park.

Now to that last tree. Someone else had apparently made a couple cuts but must have run out of muscle.

I finished the job.

Please; SOMEBODY fix those klieg lights!

Leaves Began To Fall

 

Visit #1621, Sunday 4 October 26, 6:55-9:20 a.m., 5.2 miles, 7.0 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the low 60s, partly sunny and dry.

In coming up with today's blog title, I was inspired by a Frank Zappa tune, Tears Began To Fall.

I have the album. I wouldn't advise you to listen to it unless you're a Zappa fan; strange stuff.

I put the LP on the turntable while composing this report. No drugs were involved. Only Frank Zappa would write songs titled "What Kind of Girl Do You Think We Are?", "Latex Solar Beef", and "Lonesome Electric Turkey". Before you ask to borrow my copy, know that you've been duly warned.

The record jacket's sleeve contains a prescient reminder by Frank: Don't forget to vote.

I hadn't walked UP the road to East/West Peak in quite some time so today it would be.

I never expected to find graffiti on a speedbump but today, there it was.

Squint hard and you may recognize having seen this tag before.

See it no more...

...as well as this graffiti found at West Peak.

Bonus: While picking up litter at the north end of Merimere Reservoir I found this steel waterbottle probably left by a fisherman. It's in good enough condition to donate to Goodwill, which I'll do. If I kept all the waterbottles I've found in Hubbard Park I could open my own waterbottle thrift store.

It's been several weeks since the logging project on water department property was finished, but the gate remains unsecured.

I did find a couple fallen trees that need attention like this one, but not immediately. I'll probably take care of them next week.

While leaves will fall, signs can't, especially if they are nailed to trees like I found today.

I am a veteran, and I may be the "sticker peeler greaser", but I am NOT a Nazi Non American. Whether I'm an "a.....e" is debatable, I hope.